


Connected

by herohelio



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
Genre: Banter, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Tired Link (Legend of Zelda)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-12
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:48:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26966203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/herohelio/pseuds/herohelio
Summary: There were legends, mind you, of previous heroes and their heroic adventures. Link prided himself on being one of the worst, and the number of times he crashed into walls with his shoes and had near-death experiences spoke for itself.Being the Hero of Hyrule comes with more problems than Link needs.
Relationships: Irene & Link (Legend of Zelda), Link & Ravio (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 26





	Connected

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [Linked by Fate: A Link Appreciation Zine!](https://linkedfatezine.tumblr.com/) First zine I've ever been in and I'm really glad I got to be a part of it! Hope you enjoy!!

Honestly speaking, the whole “Hero of Hyrule” gig wasn’t getting any more manageable as more time went on. 

Sure, monsters and untold evils lurked behind every corner. Either the persistent Blobs wandering about or a blue sword soldier charging right at him. Maybe even a bee popping out of a tree or Zora in the river if the day was particularly unlucky. And if Hylia really hated him, murders of crows would swoop down on him as he ran through the forests with Octorocks shooting boulders at his feet. 

Occurrences like these happened every single day, and Link still couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that the reason it did was because of _him_. Monsters wanted him dead more than anything and all Hyrule was counting on him as their savior. All thanks to one sword delivery gone wrong.

There were legends, mind you, of previous heroes and their heroic adventures. Link prided himself on being one of the worst, and the number of times he crashed into walls with his shoes and had near-death experiences spoke for itself.

He took his sword out of a dissolving Blob and collected the Rupees that it dropped. Green slime coated it, making it shine in the afternoon sun. Placing the gem into his pouch, Link sheathed his sword and headed back home. 

All things considered, this was a good day by his standards. Minimal monster attacks, perfect weather, and enough money to buy a weapon from a certain shopkeeping cretin and his bird. The Rupees jingled in sync with the bell above the doorway as Ravio turned around to greet him.

“Oh, Mr. Hero!” He clapped his hands. “Back already?”

Link nodded. The house hadn’t changed from the last time he had seen it, aside from the bag Ravio kept his earnings in. The strings at the top were loose, with many red sparkling Rupees inside. It was almost as if Ravio was mocking him at this point, as he bid farewell days worth of work to Sheerow.

The bird in question took the Rupees to Ravio, who immediately dumped the contents onto an empty desk and started counting. “Are you still interested in the Fire Rod?”

“Mhm.” Link glanced at the item. Even on the table, he could see the magic swirling in the orb, flames flickering across before dying. Against enemies, it’d be _very_ useful.

“48, 49, 50...hmmm,” Ravio frowned. “Sorry, buddy, but you’re fifty Rupees short!”

“What?!” It was his turn to frown. “What do you mean?”

“The fire rod is 100 Rupees,” he explained, scooping the Rupees back into the bag. “You only had 50.”

Silence. The gears inside Link’s head spun wildly, as he tried to process what Ravio had said. 50 Rupees more for the rod, 50 Rupees that had taken him _days_ to collect, days filled with running errands for the townspeople and days filled with grinding monsters into dust. If only the title of “Hero of Hyrule” earned discounts.

Ravio and Sheerow both seemed to sense the forlorn look on his face as they looked at each other before turning to him. “Tell you what, Mr. Hero!” Ravio fiddled with his scarf. “If you act fast, I’ll give you a discount on the Fire Rod. A quarter off! What do you say about that Mr. Hero--Mr. Hero?”

The door swung closed as Link left.

* * *

  
  


Moping wasn’t the best use of his time, nor was it something he should have been doing. But for the next few hours, it was all he did.

He gazed up at the sky, pondering how he was to earn the rest of the money to pay the price. Someone in the village wanted some honey but weren’t willing to make the journey through the woods, and there was a horde of Blobs somewhere nearby. That would be enough to earn some quick cash, but not enough for the Fire Rod.

He sighed. The entire situation was trivial, something that wasn’t worth wasting time on. Especially when lives were at stake. 

The grass behind him rustled. Link jumped to his feet and into a fighting stance in an instant, grabbing his sword and shield. The wind wasn’t blowing, and his gut twisted with the uneasy feeling that someone was watching him.

Waiting a few moments, Link remained in that position before easing. The grip on his sword never loosened as he waded through the grass, trimming it with the blade as he walked. Soon enough, the smell of freshly cut grass filled his nose and he cleared the whole field.

In the corner of his eye, something shone in the field before disappearing. Sword ready, he approached whatever lay hidden in the grass, only to see a pile of green Rupees.

A beat passed. Two. He stared, prodding it with his sword. They were free of grime and blood, like the majority of Rupees he nabbed from monsters. They were perfectly placed in a pile, one balancing on top of the other, almost as if someone had left them for him.

There was another rustle in the grass, and Link looked up. Further along, there were a few more piles of rupees.

Normally, he’d be wary and back away. Normally, he’d walk around, waiting for some sort of catch accompanying the money. But today was full of surprises and he shoved his sword into its sheath and scooped the Rupees.

While he did so, the trees rustled as a purple-hooded figure and his bird smiled.

* * *

Money wasn’t the only thing he had to worry about. Transportation was also one of them, and Irene was a different matter entirely.

The first time Link met her, she nearly crashed into him with her broom before announcing that if she didn’t want bad luck, she needed to take care of something green. His bright green hat and tunic had been enough to convince her he was that. She talked for a few moments, mainly venting about her _unfair_ life, before tossing him a bell and telling him to use it when he needed her to give him a ride. 

Covered in sweat and monster remains, Link shook the bell as she had said, waiting for her to come. The sky remained as clear and blue as before, not a speck of a girl on a broom in sight. Link sighed, letting his bell rings die.

“Yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time!”

Irene slowed her flying and floated in front of him. Placing a hand on his hip, he rang the bell once more although she was already there. She rolled her eyes at him.

“Gee, sorry I’m late!” She scoffed. “Are you getting on or what, drama queen?”

“Took you long enough,” he said. 

“Hello to you too--” Irene paused, sniffing the air and wrinkling her nose. There was a long pause, birds and other monsters echoing in the distance before Irene shrieked. “You smell like death! Where have you been?!”

“Around.”

“Around?! You smell like a monster died on you!!”

Link offered her nothing more than a nonchalant shrug, smelling his tunic. Bloodstains covered it, from monsters and him alike with Blob slime that never washed out. Combined with grass and dirt, the odor made him gag.

Irene fixed him with a smug look, swaying back and forth on her broom. “What did I tell you? You can’t go around saving Hyrule and smelling like _that_ , can you? It’s downright an embarrassment to you and the kingdom! Let’s get you fixed up!”

Reaching inside her coat pocket, she rummaged through it, discarding empty vials and ingredients, tossing them overboard (overbroom? Link wasn’t sure). They hit the ground softly, the grass breaking their fall. Soon enough, miscellaneous trinkets scattered the ground, and Irene nearly hit Link with a monster tail. 

“Aha!” Irene held up a vial, bright green and glistening in the sunlight. “I got it! Stand still, Link!”

Link did as he was told as she poured a bit into her palm. She rubbed her hands together, particles of magic flowing out of it and flying onto him. The grime and blood coating his tunic disappeared, the smell of freshly baked bread and flowers filled his senses. It brought back memories of him as a child, his mother baking bread and his father bringing him flowers after a long day of work. 

Now that he thought about it, ever since his parents died and Gulley’s family took him in, he hadn’t spared many thoughts about his family. Sure, their anniversary and birthdays Link would remember, but working and with his newest assignment to save Hyrule, he hadn’t thought of them once.

He made a mental note to visit their graves once this whole debacle was over.

“Uh, hello?” Irene waved a hand in front of his face, snapping him out of his reverie. “My skills are so amazing it rendered you speechless, huh? Am I a great witch or what?”

“Eh.” He gave her a thumbs up. “Thanks.”

“Wow, you’d think you’d show a little more gratitude, sheesh.” She turned away, but Link could catch a smile on her face. “Let’s go!”

Link grabbed the broom’s bristle and before he could hop on, his feet lifted off the ground. “Hey!” He protested, attempting to climb up. They were a good five feet up, rapidly rising by the second. “Irene!”

“Oh, you’ll be fine!”

She laughed, throwing her head back and face breaking out into a smile. It wasn’t the high-pitched cackles of a witch, but loud jubilant laughs that children gave--pure joy. Link silently fumed, but Irene’s laughter slowed, and she looked back at him, a mischievous grin evident on her face. “Relax, Link! Come on,” she patted down on the space behind her, “get on! You’ve gotta see this.”

“Ok.” 

The broom lowered as he hoisted himself on (“Why are you so heavy?” Irene complained), nearly making him topple off. He stuck out his tongue at her in defiance, causing her to roll her eyes one more. 

“Honestly, are you really the green thing I have to take care of?” 

Link gave her a shrug in reply. 

“Eh, fair enough. Anyway,” she nudged him and pointed below, “look!”

Without loosening his hold on the broom, he craned his head forward to see what in Hylia she could be talking about now. The aerial view spread beneath them, Hyrule’s vast land all condensed into singular glance. Kakariko Village took up a small portion while nature and water overrun the rest. Acres of lush forests and valleys, winding rivers, lakes, and mountains all within his view. The sun sat above them, shining on the land below. Hylians and monsters alike were small dots, moving and shifting underneath him.

To see his home like this made him smile. _This_ was the land that he would protect. 

He glanced at Irene. “Thanks.”

“No biggie! You seem really stressed and tired nowadays and that’s not good! How can you expect to help everyone if you can’t help yourself first!?” She scolded him and sighed. “Anyway, where to?”

“Wait.” Link kept his gaze trained on the ground, watching Hyrule move, breathe, _live_. “A few more minutes. It’s no rush.”

Irene gave him a genuine smile.

* * *

_EEP!_

Link pulled his sword out of a Blob and winced at the sound. The Blob dissolved into the ground, but he didn’t bother to check what it had dropped. His ears rang, the sound not going away for a few moments.

No monster made sounds like that. Sure, crows would screech bloody murder at him and the evil soldiers would yell as they charged, but none of those battle cries came close to crying babies separated from a mother.

The (Hylia, help him) Maiamai. 

Being inquisitive by nature came with flaws, like coming across monster hideouts or caves. Finding Mother Maiamai and being tasked to find her children wasn’t a bad thing--he was happy to aid in any way he could--but the deafening cries were not what he had in mind.

A few minutes passed, and he found the source of the screaming hiding behind a shrub. The poor kid screamed as Link pried it off, unwilling to let go of the branches. Link sliced the bush, grabbing the stick and Maiamai on it.

_EEP!_

“You can stop now, it’s okay.” Link told it, still attempting to remove it from the twig. Its grip did not budge, and it continued screaming for all Hyrule to hear.

_EEP!_

“Your mother asked me to look for you. I’m taking you to her, but you need to stop screaming.”

_Eep?_

The Maiamai stopped at that, finally releasing its hold on the branch. Link smiled at it and petted it. It cooed, climbing up his arm and onto his shoulder.

“Hey!” He laughed. 

_Eep!_

The Maiamai squealed, making it comfortable on his shoulder. Its tentacles wrapped around his arm, but to his surprise, they weren’t slimy and disgusting as he feared. They were soft and squishy but held on a bit too tight for his liking. It was already asleep when Link checked on it, so he let it stay as he walked to the Mother Maiamai cave. 

Aside from being blocked by rocks, the cave entrance lay where it had been before. Careful not to disrupt the sleeping Maiamai, Link dug around in his bag before pulling one of Ravio’s bombs out. He set one by the entrance, watching it explode from behind a tree and sending the rocks flying. With the barrier gone, he entered, the baby Maiamai still sound asleep. 

Mother Maiamai’s voice greeted him the moment he walked in. “Hello? Who is there?”

“Me, Mother Maiamai.”

The floor flooded with water, Link taking each step slowly not to slip. Mother Maiamai sat in the middle of the cavern, a few of her babies surrounding her. He found them all before, giving them a wave when a chorus of screams sounded upon sight of him.

_EEP!_

Yep. They hadn’t changed.

“Ah, it’s you!” Mother Maiamai spoke, silencing her children to the mercy of Link’s ears. “And--oh my! You’ve found one of my babies, thank you!”

Her eyes lit up, and another series of _EEP_ ’s filled the room. Link nodded and fought the urge to cover his ears.

“It’s okay, it’s asleep though.”

He pointed a thumb at the Maiamai, unconscious even after the screams of its siblings. Mother Maiamai chuckled, extending one of her tentacles and taking it off Link’s shoulder. She laid it next to their siblings, who happily squealed and surrounded it.

“Ah, she gets sleepy. Mother Maiamai is grateful you carried her all this way!”

Link scratched the back of his head. “It was nothing, I’m happy to help.”

“You’re nice, child, very kind indeed,” Mother Maiamai patted his head. “Mother Maiamai wishes you the best of luck and please come if you’ve found more of my babies! Thank you!”

_EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!_

The baby Maiamai screeched, waving at him as he exited. The afternoon sun shone down on his face, glorious silence becoming music to his ears. Link grinned as he looked up at the sky.

Later, he’d stop by Ravio and rent an item or two before heading to Death Mountain for another pendant for the princess. Irene would be the one taking him there of course, and there would be a Maiamai or two hiding on his way.

It was interesting how for someone alone most of the time never felt bothered by it. From Ravio, Irene, the Maiamai, Princess Zelda, and all of Hyrule, Link never felt alone. 

Each and every one of his friends and family was with him, watching his journey unfold.

They were all linked together.

Linked by fate.


End file.
